If Superman Can Start Over You Can Too

For you non-comic book geeks, the original Action Comics #1 marked the debut of Superman and is considered by many to be the start of the entire superhero genre.

Not long ago a copy of that issue sold at auction for a cool $1 million.

Now, fighting against declining sales, DC Comics has decided to start fresh which explains why Superman is wearing jeans in this promotional poster for the company’s new initiative called the “New 52,’ a series of new first issues for all of the company’s major characters.

These new first editions started to rollout at the end of August and today is the debut of the new Action Comics #1.

Must be nice to be able to just start over right? It’s not like you can do that with your show.

“This is a new beginning which builds off the best of the past. For the stories launching as new #1s in September, we have carefully hand-selected the most powerful and pertinent moments in these characters’ lives and stories to remain in the mythology and lore. And then we’ve asked the best creators in the industry to modernize, update and enhance the books with new and exciting tales. The result is that we retained the good stuff, and then make it better.”

So what’s stopping you from doing the same thing with your show?

Take the time to review all your content, attitudes, benchmarks, features, contests, production elements, prep sources and everything else that makes up your show.

Which parts are the equivalent of “the most powerful and pertinent moments in characters’ lives and stories,” that should be maintained just like DC did?

Then consider how you can make everything else better.

But be careful.

D.C. Comics isn’t undertaking this sweeping change because they were tired of the same old story lines. They are making these changes because sales are way down.

There’s a difference between bad content and good content you are tired of creating and it can be hard to tell the difference.

If you’re not sure, I suggest you hold off on making sweeping changes and get a second opinion from a mechanic you can trust.